Preview Dragon Age preview at CVG

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: BioWare; Dragon Age

<a href=http://www.computerandvideogames.com>CVG</a> has posted a <a href=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=157660>preview</a> of <a href=http://dragonage.bioware.com/>Dragon Age</a>:
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<blockquote>For years, RPGs had to rely on text to communicate their stories, dialogue and scenes. Technological advances created new avenues - we started seeing expressions, hearing voices, understanding how characters felt without being told "Bob is angry!"
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But it's never reached the level of sophistication we've grown used to in other media. Where are the pregnant pauses, the glowering looks, the terrified faces and the cheeky grins that would give our heroes and villains true depth?</blockquote>Cheeky grins = true depth?
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<blockquote>BioWare are looking to add a third layer of communication to what is said and how it's said; how characters look when they speak. With any luck, we can kiss goodbye to immobile faces badly lip-synching dialogue that deserves animated expressions. We'll begin to understand motivations instinctively; rather than digesting dialogue and calculating our next move, we'll feel what is the right way to proceed. BioWare's plan is nothing less than a reinvention of the genre, of the way we play.</blockquote>RPG is the most abused genre in the history of gaming.
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<blockquote>Wondering about that name? Think 'Bronze Age' or 'Iron Age' - the game takes place in an era dominated by dragons and powerful magic. "Magic is a really big deal. If someone were to walk into a pub, point the finger, and you burst into flames, that would have real consequences in the world. </blockquote>Like what?
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[FaranBrygo]

Reading that preview made me shit and vomit at the same time.

 

[Ladonna]

Feel what is the right way to go? WTF??

'Its really great!' gushed the Bio boy. 'By just looking at an NPC, you can clearly see the desperation in his face, the sweat pouring from his brow.... and you instinctively know, without any reading shit, that this guy needs to get to the toilet. The feeling to get the fuck out of his way is natural!'.

 

[Jed]

I knew this game was gonna blow, but all the schmucks kept saying, "Mermermerrrr ... how can you judge the game before it's even out ... mermermerrr ... "

Watch me.

 

[taxacaria]

To add some facial expressions isn't a bad idea - but it's a comics feature, not a great RPG innovation. And it's not new - think about the diplomatics minigame in Oblivion.
I''m worrying about the word 'depth' in this context.

 

[dojoteef]

...touted as the spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights...

Everything is a spirtual successor these days.

 

[Lumpy]

...touted as the spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights...

Why are they so negative about it? How can they call it shit before it's even out?

 

[Jed]

It's gotta have a soul to be a spiritual successor ...

 

[Globbi]

Nothing really said in the preview, let's wait for some more info on how is it gonna be. It's not too interesting to hear (what was known 3 years ago) that they create a new world and new system while i'm sure it won't really differ from the feeling of playing D&D in FR world. And i hate this screenshot. It looks so shitblivion-like while I kinda liked the screenshots shown a few years ago.

 

[Hamster]

So, basicaly it's NWN2, but, hopefully, with improvements in every aspect. Could be better, but still looks decent.
P.S. At last, we will be able to see a proper fear in orc's eyes!

 

[JarlFrank]

To add some facial expressions isn't a bad idea - but it's a comics feature, not a great RPG innovation. And it's not new - think about the diplomatics minigame in Oblivion.
I''m worrying about the word 'depth' in this context.

Well, yeah, to have depth it would need deep dialogue, and the facial expressions only helping that dialogue in some way. It would not be good at all if the NPC just said "OMGZ T3H ENEMY ATTAKS UZ!!!!" and rolls his eyes in a cartoonish way.

 

[Shannow]

And i hate this screenshot. It looks so shitblivion-like while I kinda liked the screenshots shown a few years ago.

iirc the older screenshots were made, while dragon age was still using the nwn-engine. they said, that it was only used as a storyboard and the game would have a different engine...

 

[MacBone]

Body language in games is nothing new. Fallout's conversation interface allows the player to see changes in NPCs' attitudes, and other games (PS:T comes to mind) include reactions, changes of expression, etc. in the text. I'm curious to see what Dragon Age's method of showing body language is going to be.

 

[Elhoim]

Wondering about that name? Think 'Bronze Age' or 'Iron Age' - the game takes place in an era dominated by dragons and powerful magic. "Magic is a really big deal. If someone were to walk into a pub, point the finger, and you burst into flames, that would have real consequences in the world.
Like what?

Like that your HP would go down a little.

 

[Limorkil]

Oblivion has facial expressions. Each line of dialogue has a facial expression behind the scenes to go with it. The only problem is: the voice actors are terrible; they cannot convey strong emotions convincingly. I always cringe when a character has to deliver any dialogue that you would label "angry", "terrified" or "panicked" because that is when the acting breaks down. "Angry" becomes "Mildly annoyed" and the other two become "whiny".

Point is: Nothing new here; been done already; really needs to be done properly or not at all.

Besides, we heard this sort of thing from Bioware-types before and it generally appears to be more a way to avoid writing dialogue than anything else.

 

[taxacaria]

Deep implementation of body language is when an NPC is lying redfaced or avoids eye contact or crossing his fingers...
Such implements can dumb down a game, because study of dialogue is replaced partially.
I think it becomes difficult to find a satisfying way to make this work.

 

[Hamster]

Wondering about that name? Think 'Bronze Age' or 'Iron Age' - the game takes place in an era dominated by dragons and powerful magic. "Magic is a really big deal. If someone were to walk into a pub, point the finger, and you burst into flames, that would have real consequences in the world.
Like what?

Like that your HP would go down a little.

More likely you will be arrested for using magic in the city. :wink: For the first time in history players will witness such treatment of magic users in crpg! Oh wait...

 

[Volourn]

The info in the preview is not new.

As for the facial impressions.. sure, otehr games have used them before; but they were so basically nad pretty much didn't add a thing to the games. Hopefully, DA will take that further. I doubt it's gonna replace dialogue though.

P.S. Jed thr Crybaby will be first in line to buy this game.

 

[Admiral Rimjob POOBUM]

Wondering about that name? Think 'Bronze Age' or 'Iron Age' - the game takes place in an era dominated by dragons and powerful magic. "Magic is a really big deal. If someone were to walk into a pub, point the finger, and you burst into flames, that would have real consequences in the world.

The fuck?

 

[doctor_kaz]

I think that facial expressions can add tremendously to the value of an RPG if they are done right. The facial expressions in Vampire -- The Masquerade: Bloodlines were great and they made the dialog parts of the game that much better. What worries me about this game is that they'll overdo the 3rd/1st person viewpoint so much that combat will lack any strategic element and it will totally suck. VtM:B or Kotor-like character interactions with Baldurs Gate or ToEE style combat would be a great combo, methinks. I am personally holding out hope that this game will resurrect the single player PC RPG from its current state of hopeless shittiness.

 

[Volourn]

BL was awesome folr that. I doubt DA will have a 1st person view - at leats not as its main view. I think it has 3rd person ala KOTOR for travelling and isometric for combat, IIRC. Don't forget, you have a party of 4 (counting the PC) to control in DA.

 

[Texas Red]

I think that facial expressions can add tremendously to the value of an RPG if they are done right. The facial expressions in Vampire -- The Masquerade: Bloodlines were great and they made the dialog parts of the game that much better. What worries me about this game is that they'll overdo the 3rd/1st person viewpoint so much that combat will lack any strategic element and it will totally suck. VtM:B or Kotor-like character interactions with Baldurs Gate or ToEE style combat would be a great combo, methinks. I am personally holding out hope that this game will resurrect the single player PC RPG from its current state of hopeless shittiness.

No. Just... no. Because Troika focused so much on their facial expressions and other worthless crap, VtM: Bloodlines had small and linear areas, practically no inventory, general linearity and an incredibly crappy combat thrown in as well.

Thats the same situation with Biowhore now. They will, as everyone as always, concentrate on pointess graphical features and cut off everything that would make an RPG great.

Im waiting for the announcement which would state DA, the next generation epic awe-inspiring jaw-dropping game, would be released for Vista and Xbox360. Then I quote my years old predictions and laugh.

 

[Jim Kata]

So we can see the fear in their ultra gay anime style orc eyes?

Wlecome to the age of oblivion.

 

[Volourn]

" Because Troika focused so much on their facial expressions and other worthless crap, VtM: Bloodlines had small and linear areas, practically no inventory, general linearity and an incredibly crappy combat thrown in as well."

Not to mention the fact it had awesome atmosphere, overall greta dialogue, interetsing characters, and some cool role-playing. OMG How horrible!!!

 

[sabishii]

" Because Troika focused so much on their facial expressions and other worthless crap, VtM: Bloodlines had small and linear areas, practically no inventory, general linearity and an incredibly crappy combat thrown in as well."

Not to mention the fact it had awesome atmosphere, overall greta dialogue, interetsing characters, and some cool role-playing. OMG How horrible!!!

Only for part of the game.